U.S. President Barack Obama will tell federal agencies tomorrow to fast track the approval process for the leg of the Keystone XL pipeline from Cushing, Okla., to Texas refineries on the Gulf of Mexico, the White House said Wednesday.

President Barack Obama says his administration will open a large swath in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration and development, fending off criticism that his policies have stifled domestic energy production.

ORANGE PARK -- When Hailey Hatcher penned a letter asking Barack Obama to do more about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, he doubted the president would see it, much less ponder its meaning. He mailed and faxed the three-page note in June 2010. About four months later, the Orange Park attorney got a call from the White House. read more

President Barack Obama will not be allowing new drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico for at least seven years, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Wednesday.

President Barack Obama can end a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico under new rules reducing the risk of an uncontrolled spill, according to a report for a panel investigating BP Plcs blowout.